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Special Potatoes

Last October, when I was in Crete for my cousin’s wedding, our family group had a wonderful dinner at To Stachi, a vegetarian restaurant in Chania. The meal was memorable not just for the food, but for the kitchen philosophy that Stelios, the soft-spoken owner, shared with us. We were quoting him for weeks, and we haven’t really stopped.

“People don’t come to your house for your special potatoes,” he advised. “They come for your personality!”

His words were a good reminder that the company at your table is more important than the food.

That said, I’ve been wanting to post a recipe for my brother-in-law Barry’s special potatoes, the ones I find hard to resist when they’re placed in front of me. Stelios was right, I don’t go to my sister’s house for Barry’s special potatoes, but they’re a nice bonus when we’re invited for dinner.

If you want, you can also add rosemary to the recipe. I have never done them on parchment paper, I feel they crisp up better on foil. I also always cut them, again to allow them to crisp up properly. Finally, I always roast them, not bake them.